Books from G.A. Hauser > Vampire Nights

Book: Vampire Nights EXCERPT FROM BOOK “We had some good times, didn’t we, Viv?” She gasped and looked up. Roger was standing in the living room on the opposite side of the counter staring at her. “RJ! How did you get in here?” “Your door was unlocked. I didn’t mean to scare you.” “Unlocked? No way. I never leave it unlocked.” She rushed to the front door and checked it. It wasn’t locked. “Shit! How did I do that?” She shut it and locked it again. When she came back to the kitchen counter she found him staring at the photo wistfully. “We made a good looking couple, didn’t we, Viv?” “Yes, RJ…we did.” She sat back down and finished her food. “Are you hungry? I don’t have more pasta, sorry, but I could make something for you.” “No. I’m fine.” “You want some wine?” “No. Thanks. Nothing for me.” He noticed the yearbook and pulled up the stool next to her and sat down. She cleaned up her plate and silverware and then sat back down again and looked at his profile as he leafed through the album. He appeared very forlorn and isolated even as he sat so near. Something in his expression appeared to resonate with deep pain and suffering, which was a contradiction to the easy life he had led as a young boy. His good looks and boyish appeal opened every door for him. Football, soccer, baseball, drama, music, every club he had wanted to be a member of opened up for him with eager invitations. RJ lit up the room. He knew when he walked into a gathering it felt important. His life was well planned; accepted to Harvard, he was going to stay close to home and she would go to Boston University so they could see each other often. It was all there in that high-school yearbook as if it was written out on a scroll of his life. The most likely to achieve, the one who would get honors, RJ Bloodstock was one of those boys you either wished you were, or could own. “It was such a long time ago.” She smiled sadly. “No. No, on the contrary, it was merely a blink of an eye.” “Twenty years?” She shook her head at him. “That’s some blink.” As she watched him flip through the pages, he found the photo that Kelly had mentioned and she had also seen and admired. RJ gazed for a long moment at that happy, carefree couple. “We had it all, Viv.” “I know. Until you ruined it.” She hopped off the stool and topped off her wine glass. “Why were you looking at all this?” He pushed around some of the objects in the box to see what it contained. “Nostalgic I guess. Kelly called and left a message. She said she’d been looking through the yearbook as well.” He produced a brown rose bud and looked at it. “I know this one.” “You do?” “Your sweet sixteen party. I gave you this and you pinned it on your lapel.” “That’s right. Pretty good, RJ.” “It was pink and smelled really lovely.” “Yup. A beautiful hot pink color. I couldn’t believe how incredible it was.” “I knew it was your favorite rose color. Everyone else likes red. Not you, Viv…” “No. I like to be different.” Roger cupped the tiny dried bud in his hand tenderly and then looked into Vivienne’s eyes. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could turn back time?” “You sound like Cher,” she laughed teasingly at him. When he opened his hands he showed her the rose bud. Her eyes widened in awe at its perfect pink color and aroma. “How did you do that?” She picked it up. “You brought one with you?” She inhaled it and petted its fresh petals. “Neat trick, RJ. You sure know how to romance a gal.” “If that’s the case, why are you dating someone else?” Her grin dropped quickly and she turned away from him, still inhaling the fresh rose scent under her nose. “He’s a friend.” “You want him to be more than a friend.” “RJ, I already told you. I can’t go back and begin this relationship again. Not like you want me to.” “Why not?” “Because. You crushed me twenty years ago. You left me and you killed me. I’ve told you all this. And when I ask you why, I get some lame excuse about duty or because you had to, neither of which I believe.” “Why would I lie to you? I love you.” Hearing those three words, she turned to look at him again. That sadness was so profound it engulfed her. “I don’t know why you’d lie to me. Only you know that.” “Do you still love me?” It was a question she had asked herself repeatedly. “Yes, and no.” “Explain that, please.” “Why should I? You don’t explain anything to me.” He caught her hand and held it, then whispered, “Please.” Her willpower overridden by the sympathy she felt, she sighed and said, “I guess I love you in a little place in my heart, RJ, where I’ll always love you. But, I’m no longer ‘in love’ with you. I feel as if you burned that part of me so badly, that the fear of letting go and wanting you is too strong. You see?” “You’re still afraid. You still doubt my sincerity.” “In a nutshell, yes. Do you blame me?” She brushed the soft petals over her lips. “If there were some way to convince you, would you come back to me?” “Roger…” she sighed tiredly. “Come here.” He drew her close and stood her between his knees as he sat on the bar stool. “You know you still crave me sexually, don’t you?” She blushed as she remembered her erotic dreams. “Maybe.” “You want my touch, my kiss.” He ran his hand through her hair and cupped the back of her head. “Even if I did crave you, you know, to have sex, it doesn’t mean I want us to get involved again.” “Have sex with me then.” He found her free hand and brought it to his crotch. On contact, her hand felt hot and tingly. “Wow…” She opened her eyes wider and set the rose bud down on the counter next to them, then used both hands to cup his crotch. As she massaged him, feeling him hard underneath the black denim, her body began to rock with chills. “Geezuz, RJ! I must be hot for you, because just fondling your cock is getting me crazy.” “Me as well. I am imagining I am already in you. Can you feel it?” Pressure and heat suddenly materialized between her legs. She closed her eyes and swooned from it.